Purpose

This policy sets out how anyone working with Sawtooth Studios Ltd, trading as The Still Room, can raise a genuine concern about wrongdoing, malpractice, or danger affecting the organisation, without fear of being penalised for doing so. It reflects the protection given to whistleblowers under the Public Interest Disclosure Act 1998, as incorporated into the Employment Rights Act 1996.

This policy is about wrongdoing within the organisation. It is separate from Sawtooth’s Complaints Procedure, which covers a participant’s concern about their own experience, and from the Safeguarding Policy for Children and Young People, which already sets out how to raise a concern about a child’s safety, including a concern about a colleague, and protects anyone who does so in good faith.

Who This Policy Covers

This policy applies to anyone working with Sawtooth in any capacity, including employees, self-employed practitioners, freelancers, and volunteers, regardless of length of engagement. Whistleblowing protection under UK law extends to workers broadly defined, not only employees.

What Counts as a Qualifying Disclosure

A qualifying disclosure is information which, in your reasonable belief, is disclosed in the public interest and shows one or more of the following is happening, has happened, or is likely to happen:

A criminal offence.
A failure to comply with a legal obligation.
A miscarriage of justice.
A danger to the health or safety of any individual.
Damage to the environment.
Deliberate concealment of information about any of the above.

You do not need to have firm proof, a reasonable belief is enough, but the concern should be raised honestly and not for personal gain.

What Is Not Covered by This Policy

A personal grievance about your own treatment, pay, or working conditions is not a whistleblowing matter and should be raised directly with Jacqueline Silver as a normal workplace conversation.

A concern about a child’s safety or welfare should be raised under Sawtooth’s Safeguarding Policy for Children and Young People, using the disclosure procedure set out there.

A participant’s complaint about their experience of a session, event, or the venue should be raised under Sawtooth’s Complaints Procedure.

How to Raise a Concern

Concerns should normally be raised directly with Jacqueline Silver, Director, in person, by phone, or in writing to safeguarding@thestillroom-norwich.co.uk. Please give as much detail as you can, including what has happened, when, who was involved, and any evidence or documents you hold.

If the Concern Involves the Director

Because Sawtooth has no board to escalate to, a concern about Jacqueline Silver’s own conduct should be raised directly with the relevant external body, rather than internally. Depending on the nature of the concern, this may include the Information Commissioner’s Office (data protection), the Health and Safety Executive (health and safety), or another prescribed person or regulator. A full list of prescribed persons and bodies for whistleblowing disclosures is published at gov.uk/whistleblowing/list-of-prescribed-people-bodies.

Protection From Detriment

Sawtooth will not penalise, dismiss, or treat unfairly anyone who raises a genuine concern in good faith under this policy, even if the concern turns out to be mistaken, provided it was raised honestly and reasonably. A deliberately false or malicious allegation is not protected, and may be treated as a separate conduct matter.

Confidentiality

Sawtooth will make every effort to keep the identity of the person raising a concern confidential. This cannot always be guaranteed, for example where disclosure is necessary to investigate the matter fairly or where required by law, and this will be explained to you if it arises.

What Happens Next

A concern raised under this policy will be acknowledged within five working days. It will be looked into proportionately to its nature and seriousness, and you will be told the outcome so far as confidentiality and any legal constraints allow.

Review

This policy will be reviewed annually, in August each year, alongside Sawtooth’s Safeguarding Policy, Privacy Policy, and other governance documents, and sooner if guidance or practice changes materially.

Adopted: September 2026

Signed: Jacqueline Silver

Date: 24^th September 2026